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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. face — to confront
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ground — crushed
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mate — a partner
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. face — part of the head
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. face — to point toward
  17. ground — a position
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mate — a friend
  22. drill — army training
  23. stock — goods
  24. drill — a practice

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com